New church plants typically start out small, some as a Bible study in a home or in the basement of an office building. But pastors launching a new church planting initiative this year are telling fellow leaders, "Launch large!"
Hundreds of pastors and church workers are scheduled to attend NEXT Conference on Tuesday to play a role in a network's newest initiative - starting 1,000 new churches in the next five years. The two-day conference in Ocala, Fla., will teach the popular Purpose Driven church model - coined by megapastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church - for successful church starts across the nation.
The Purpose Driven Planting network, separate from Saddleback Church, steers away from the word church "plant" in its latest effort. Instead, it encourages a church "launch."
"'Planting' denotes slow growth ... like a tree," the Rev. Jim Cowart, one of the conference speakers, told The Christian Post. "We started using the analogy of 'launching' because the Purpose Driven model tries to teach pastors to launch large and healthy."
Rather than encourage a small start, NEXT conference is aimed to help pastors skip over all the growth barriers, Cowart explained.
One of the most common mistakes church planters make is starting with "a core group rather than a launch group," said Cowart. "It goes back to the old model of planting churches - starting small." Although Cowart is not opposed to small beginnings, he said the Purpose Driven model teaches the opposite - launch large.
"A crowd can be turned into a church."
Plus, times have changed.
Six years ago, Cowart began a Purpose Driven church - Harvest Church - with around 120 people and is now up to 900 attendants in Warner Robins, Ga. The Purpose Driven model was the most successful one Cowart and his team had found and although spearheaded by a Southern Baptist congregation, Cowart says the model works for any denomination. Harvest Church is a United Methodist congregation.
Going back to American society some 30 years ago, pastors who planted churches might have had it easier. Whatever model was used, if they built a church, people would come, Cowart indicated. "That's when most of America went to church."
"That's really not the case now."
There are new and different challenges today. Although the majority of Americans still say they believe in the existence of God, church attendance, on average, is at 33 percent, a Gallup poll last year revealed.
Cowart's advice for starting new churches: choose a model and stick with it. Churches that are "too eclectic" in their approach, taking bits and pieces from various church models, largely do not result in successful growth. The Purpose Driven paradigm is not the only model available, Cowart notes. There are also other popular models such as that of the Willow Creek Association with megapastor Bill Hybels in South Barrington, Ill. But if a church makes its start without following a certain paradigm, it can get "beat up," as Cowart described.
NEXT Conference begins Feb. 27 at Church at The Springs. The conference is free of cost to help draw church starters who typically do not have much financial backing. Following this week's conference is another two-day event slated for June 19 in Lynchburg, Va.
Comments
What happens when you mix low Bible education, a lack of understanding of Christian History and Faith without Reason?
You get JC4me. Be wary of Fundamentalists who claim to be Christian.
I am convinced Jesus will return soon for His Bride, and we are living in the end times brother, and make no mistake about it, the "emergent conversation", the "emergent church", the COEXIST Movement, and BOno from U2 along with the Rick Warrens of the world with their social gospel are creating a "bridge" between Christianity and Eaastern as well as Catholic Mysticism wich is really new age.
Read up more on the social liberalism of the emergent church, and the many seductive false doctrines such as contemplative prayer (which is really eastern mysticism), the bringing back of icons to "feel" God move in people's midsts, you can eve read up on Brian Mclaren's (The man who is credited to being the founder of this liberal church movement) view, as well as many of their leaders views on hell and homosexuality, and you will see they are totally extra biblical. you can find more info on this at www.understandthetimes.org, and www.apprising.org.
The emergent church preaches an extra biblical gospel that is more in line with the new age than it is with Sound Doctrine based Biblical Christianity. Many of them - to mention one - Tony Campolo recently told a young reader how to have a born again experience thru contemplative prayer! Imagine that, the Bible says there is only one way to God and that is Jesus Christ, and here is a so called evangelical preacher (not really evangelical even though he calls himself this) and he is teaching an eastern mystical practice taught in the Roman Catholic Church and the Jessuit Order. Now imagine that, he is adoptig practices from a church that teaches the deification of Mary as being co-redemptrix with Christ. This is heresy my brother, and we need to exhort others in love, and pray for their eyes to be quickly opened to this deception in the church; that they may see this for what it is, and that the Holy Spirit in mercy and grace may convict their hearts to repent and come back.